PONO Hands-on Review

I think a review comparing it to the best digital processor in a very high end Hi-Fi stereo system would be the most informative. That it beats a typical MP3 player is not all that hard to believe.

 

I am curious about this too...would make my life a whole lot easier

 

http://www.stereophile.com/content/...usic-player-balanced-mode#P8RiazLQxfFQ1BQt.97

 

So I went for a nice walk last night with the Pono and a pair of Westone UM Pro 30 IEMs. I queued up this DSD128 title.

All I can say is this: Sound quality this portable and this good should be illegal.

The Pono player got slightly warm playing DSD128. Not unexpected as decoding DSD128 is computationally intensive.

 

Now that I've had several months to play with my Pono, I am absolutely a believer in its playback quality. I'd say 90% o the music I've played through has been revelatory. I fully expected this thing to be a dud and it has proven me wrong dozens of times over. Great player and great value.

Now I do have one significant problem with the Pono Player and this is something I was hoping would have improved by now but it hasn't: the touchscreen. There is simply no reliable way to touch this thing without inadvertently clicking on every friggin album, track, option, etc. If you try to scroll, you're clicking something. If you touch on the edge, you're clicking something. If you use a feather touch, you're clicking something. The complete lack of reliable means of navigation on the player, particularly a player marketed as a portable, is hugely frustrating. All I do is handle small electronics all day and I can barely work this thing.

 

Phil Baker (PonoMusic)
We have heard many of you asking that we expand player sales beyond the U.S. even before the PonoMusic Store is available. The good news is that PonoPlayers will be available sometime in the next few weeks from Amazon Canada. We are also working on making the PonoPlayer available at retail in the U.K.

(Note that this refers to the player only and is separate from the rollout out of the PonoMusic stores beyond the U.S.)

 

Try using a firmer touch. I find pressing harder helps.

 

+1

Otherwise, scrolling will be an exercise in frustration. No one will mistake the operation of the UI on Pono for a Retina display on an Apple device, but once you come to terms with how it likes to be operated, the swearing will decrease.

 

It also helps to lock the screen in portrait mode - you get a longer scroll "stroke". It's great to teach yourself patience. I suspect the " instant gratification " crowd may be perplexed...

 

I must say that the Pono player makes the radio in my Subaru XV sound much better compared to the build in cd player.

 

So many good reviews on Pono around here, i'm almost taking a plane to the USA right now just to buy this thing, plus a balanced cable of course. I wonder why this device receives so much criticism outside the SH Forums...

 

honestly? after having used the thing for a few days, I had an inkling that most of the criticism was from people who'd never touched a Pono Player. now, after having had one for 6 months, I'm convinced those people have never touched a Pono Player.

 

thanks for the advice. I am so accustomed to using Apple devices and their touchscreens have such a high degree of sensitivity and accuracy. those screens almost seems to discern finger pressure. for that reason, I tend to approach all screens with a feather touch. in the case of the Pono Player, however, applying a bit more pressure does seem to do the trick. but I also think that locking the screen into portrait mode has made a huge difference. I've found that since doing that, while not able to be quite as light to the touch as with an iPhone, I can cut my finger pressure on the Pono screen by at least 50%.

 

It is not just outside the SH Forum. Plenty of criticism on here as well. In every case but one (that I personally read) it was criticised by someone who has not heard the PonoMusic Player. Always based on something Neil Young (or somebody) said or some conceptual thing that did not set well with the poster. (I am talking about criticism of the sound only. There are quirks and features that could be bettered. No deal breakers for me in that department, though.)

The one criticism that I have read here that was from someone that has heard it was from a member that listened on a Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 without balanced cables. And I agree with that criticism. I had my Pono one day before the balanced cables arrived and my Sennheiser HD650 (unbalanced) was pushing the limits of what a Pono can do with those high impedance headphones. On the other hand, while I was waiting, my modest $80 HiFiMan RE-400 In-Ear Headphones were revealing some of the magic. And the next night, after receiving my balanced cables, I had a hard time putting my Sennheiser HD650/Pono/Balanced cables up and going to sleep - it sounded that good.

I am not sure if this would work, Poxy Bowsy, but it looks like you may be able to order a PonoMusic Player from www.amazon.com. The page does not mention restricting sales to other countries. It may come up in the ordering process, but it may be worth a try for you.

I agree with your post 100%, motionoftheocean.

I made a light hearted post on another Pono thread earlier today:

I know I will lose some with this statement but here I go anyway. I have fantasized about something that combined the strengths of analog and digital since I first heard CDs. The Pono is the closest that I have heard to realizing that fantasy. And to get to this level of musical enjoyment for $400 I am delighted - to say the least.

 

Yeah, i just checked and i believe you're right, Amazon ships Pono worldwide, unlike Nutritional Yeast that i can't find anywhere. The problem is the import fees deposit though, which is more than the Pono value itself! And i still need to buy new headphones and some balanced cables, so i'll need to save some money if i want that Pono in my hands.

 

For me the proof of quality is the number of owners who have NOT returned the Pono. After reading hundreds, perhaps thousands, of reviews by users who OWN a Pono, I've only seen two or three who actually sent the unit back. I've owned mine for about three months and couldn't be happier. Using Sennheiser HD600's in balanced mode is a true joy (although it could use more power on some selections, which I have commented on before -- I AM learning to live with it!!!). The software, on the other hand, could use some work. I only use PMW for downloading purchases and firmware upgrades. All other duties are done within Windows Explorer.

I pay little, to no, attention to folks who comment that have not heard or do not own a Pono. If they are happy with their iPhones , fine....but you'll never hear a balanced headphone or amp setup. Your loss.

 

Went for a bike ride last night listening to the reissue of Heart's Bebe Le Strange with the Pono and Westone IEMs. The sound quality really reminded me of listening to the vinyl back in the day with Koss Pro4AAA headphones. I'm not sure it's totally safe to ride a bike this way because the music is so involving (probably more like distracting). But it sure is fun!

 

For those who ride the tube or trains, this is your perfect companion on those wonderful life experiences. It takes you away to other worlds or the worlds of your choosing. A great music listening product.

 

Whoa, I didn't realize how high the import fees were. I read that Pono is going to start selling in the UK and Canada at some point. (I think I got that right.) I don't know if that would help you.

 

Just purchased a Pono (love it!). I can't however seem to figure out how to get the additional 128gb SanDisk (type 10) to load and be recognized by my Pono player. I loaded the card in the expansion slot and then......nothing happens. The additional storage doesn't appear on the Pono or when it's connected to my computer via Pono Music World. What am I doing wrong?

 

Does the card show up in your OS' file explorer? If so, it should be formatted as exFAT...If it isn't, try reformatting the card

 

No, the card doesn't show up in my Windows 10 file explorer. I'm going to send it back to Amazon and get a replacement. I'm hoping card was defective. Thanks Onewway 23!

 

Do you have a microSD to SD card adapter?
Use an adapter to plug the microSD card in the computer without using the Pono. To check if the computer is able to see and read the card on its own. Take the PonoPlayer out of the equation.

The PonoPlayer can be a bit fussy about connecting to the computer and showing both the internal memory and the microSD memory as drives. Sometimes you need to plug and unplug the PonoPlayer from the computer several times before it gets recognized.

 

Did you happen to buy it on Amazon from a third-party? Be careful...there's a ton of counterfeit microSD cards on there...

Only buy the one sold directly from amazon for between $60-$70.

 

Yes....it came with the adaptor....my PC didn't recognize it either. Me thinks it's either defective or a counterfeit. Thanks Ham.